National News

Obama: I don't want the NSA holding phone data

(NEWSER) – President Obama today introduced a host of reforms to the NSA's surveillance programs, including ending the NSA's telephone metadata collection program "as it currently exists." In a speech today, Obama argued that the government shouldn't hold onto that phone data; he's asking Eric Holder, intelligence officials, and Congress to submit proposals on who should before the program comes up for review on March 28. In the meantime, he's issued an order requiring the NSA to get permission from the FISA court every time it wants to access its data, except in "a true emergency." Obama also called for other reforms including:

Establishing a panel of advocates from outside the government to argue cases before the FISA court.

Additional restrictions on the use of incidentally collected data on Americans.